Rideau Trail: Bedford Mills Segment

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Since 1971, the Rideau Trail Association has established, maintained and encouraged low-impact, self-propelled use of the Rideau Trail, a 387 km network of interconnected trails between the City of Kingston and the City of Ottawa located in the general area of the Rideau Canal and its tributary waters.

This segment continues from Rideau Trail: Opinicon Segment and Cataraqui Trail: Central Segment.

For the first 3 km the RT follows spring runoff paths near swampy ground, crosses a small stream and a beaver dam, and climbs two high points from which Benson Lake can be seen to the right. It meets a private road and continues west along it for 300 m, then goes through a gate onto a public gravel road. The RT goes left on Taggarts Lane to reach the north end of the Buck Lake BL at Massassauga Rd.

The RT veers right (northwest) on Massassauga Rd. It crosses a bridge over Massassauga Creek, then passes on the right a private lane marked with green triangles. This leads to a campsite on the shore of Mosquito Lake, owned by the CRCA and for the use of canoeists on the lake. Small parties of RTA members hiking in the area have permission to use this facility, thanks to the generosity of the private landowners whose property surrounds the CRCA site. Care must be taken to use the private laneway only to gain access to the campsite, and to avoid intruding onto these private properties. Open fires are not permitted at the campsite.

The RT continues on Massassauga Rd, past a road right leading to Loon Lake, to reach and cross Perth Rd. It continues on a grassy path leading to St. Stephen's Anglican Church, where cars may be parked. Past the church, the RT turns right (north) on Bedford Mills Rd, continuing for 300 m past a mill pond at a former grist mill. This is a stone structure with dormer windows built in 1850; operated as a mill well into the 20th century, it is now a private residence.

From Bedford Mills Rd close to Perth Rd, the RT turns left (west) and winds north, southwest, and northwest in woods. After 2 km it descends, then goes left (southwest) just before a pond with a large beaver dam. The RT goes right around the south end of the pond and north with the pond to the right, then turns left (west) to reach the gravel McAndrews Rd.